I Am What I Wear 2
When the first time that I left my hometown to study in Brisbane, my parents took me to a clothing store that customized traditional Chinese clothing. I still remember how surprised I was when I walked into the clothing store. Various kinds of fabrics and fancy patterns were placed in front of me. I saw many traditional Chinese designs, including phoenix, plum, peony and auspicious clouds.
My father asked me to choose the colour and style by myself. I was so confused that I asked him why he would like to spend four hundred dollars to customize such a dress. He seemed a little mad, and then he patiently explained to me, “you are my daughter, and we are Chinese; cheongsam is one of the traditional Chinese clothing that you can wear it on formal occasions. When you study abroad in another country, I want you to remember who you are and where you come from, no matter how far you go, you are always strongly connected with your country.”
At that time, I realized that the Chinese people’s national feelings are born in their bones, and it is flowing in their blood. After I had the first traditional Chinese dress in my life, I was suddenly filled with a sense of mission and responsibility. Getting a dress is not only about beauty, but also an identity and culture background behind the piece of clothes you choose to wear. After I came to Brisbane, I was wearing cheongsam (another traditional Chinese dress) to support the Chinese Students Association’s activities. There are a lot of local students, and the teachers asked me what I was wearing and praised how pretty it was. I felt so happy with a unique feeling of national pride.
photo taken by Caitlin Duan
Due to an accidental opportunity, I had a chance to know more about Hanfu. I was reading the Chinese online news, and it declared that since the beginning of this year, the third day of March according to the lunar calendar is designed as “Chinese National Clothes Day”. On the 18th of April this year, most Chinese people wear Hanfu to celebrate the Chinese National Clothes Day. Looking at all the Hanfu pictures that were posted by Hanfu promoters with tears welled up in my eyes.
I still remember how sad I was when I walked around campus with Hanfu, and one of my Chinese friends came to me and asked why I did cosplay today. As a Chinese, he did not comprehend the history and culture of our country. This made me feel embarrassed and strengthened my determination to promote Hanfu culture. A person who has not been influenced and immersed by his country’s history and culture is incomplete. It is like a man without his soul and only has an empty body. The glorious history and culture of China for five thousand years has gradually disappeared and forgotten by people because the younger generation did not realize the importance of inheriting our culture.
After that day, I became more confident and braver to wear Hanfu in Brisbane, what I choose to wear is not only to be fashionable and beautiful but also to show the identity and culture backgrounds that I have. When Hanfu became my fashion statement, this forgotten story behind this piece of clothing meant much more than the fabric itself. Every time I wore it, my country always became my strongest backing and my pride. This is a story about traditional clothing, but also a period of national culture and history.
Hanfu may be just one of the traditional Chinese clothes, but it represents an unforgettable age and memories of a generation. When people look back at history, they always feel that the time of thousands of years is so fleeting. But they don’t know that in those few hundred years, people wore Hanfu as their daily clothing as an identity. This deep-rooted national sentiment has taken root in every Chinese people’s hearts.
